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Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
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Wikipedia article
'Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession' is a 2004 documentary film about Los Angeles pay cable channel Z Channel which was directed by Xan Cassavetes, daughter of Hollywood director and actor John Cassavetes. It was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.[https://mubi.com/films/z-channel-a-magnificent-obsession Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)- MUBI]
The documentary is about Z Channel, which was one of the first pay cable TV stations in the United States. Z Channel became famous for showing an eclectic variety of films, including foreign language, silent, documentary, director's cut, forgotten, overlooked, under-appreciated, erotic as well as mainstream films, without commercials and uncut and letterboxed when possible.[https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/summer-rental-z-channel Summer Rental: 'Z Channel'|Commonweal Magazine][http://thenewbev.com/blog/2016/11/z-channel/ New Beverly Cinema]
The film also tells the story of Z Channel's programming director Jerry Harvey who was a true film lover, programming genius, and a man almost single-handedly responsible for getting many great films shown to the public. It gives insights into Harvey's constant battle with personal demons which resulted in him ending his own life and the life of his wife in a murder-suicide.[https://film.avclub.com/z-channel-a-magnificent-obsession-1798201179 Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession on AV/Film][https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/z-channel-9161/ UNCUT]
Throughout the film a variety of footage featuring some of the films shown on the Z Channel is used. This serves to underline the diversity offered on the channel in particular its attempts to expose its American viewers to undubbed foreign language films.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
The films ends with a montage of scenes of such films with Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do?" theme being played over the top of them as performed by the actor William Atherton from the film 'The Great Gatsby' (1974).[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
People interviewed for the film
*Robert Altman[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*Alexander Payne[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*Quentin Tarantino[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*Jacqueline Bisset[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXq4bX_vrSY Jacqueline Bisset - Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession]
*Theresa Russell[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
*Jim Jarmusch[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*Stuart Cooper[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-cClv47gdw Z Channel: Overlord on YouTube]
*F. X. Feeney[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*Penelope Spheeris[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
*James Woods[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*Henry Jaglom[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
*Vilmos Zsigmond[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
*James B. Harris[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
Selected films featured on Z Channel
*'Heaven's Gate'[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*'Once Upon a Time in America'[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*'Overlord'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-cClv47gdw Z Channel: Overlord on YouTube]
*'Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'McCabe and Mrs. Miller'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'Das Boot'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'The Wild Bunch'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'The Leopard'[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*'1900'[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/05/AR2005050500843.html?noredirect=on 'Z Channel' on the Air-Washington Post]
*'That Most Important Thing: Love'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhPM47Buol4 Z Channel: The Important Thing is to Love]
*'Ride the High Country'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNZeFFKceeU Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube]
*'Salvador'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'Black Orpheus'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'Paths of Glory'[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmuE0PUAsE Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004)-YouTube]
*'My Darling Clementine'[http://articles.latimes.com/1989-06-25/entertainment/ca-6488_1_z-channel-jerry-harvey-theta-cableable The Death of Z Channel--What Now? : The History : Beset by troubles, quirky station will switch to all-sports]
Reception
'Z Channel' has an overall approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
At Metacritic, the film scored 85/100 based on 4 critics.
Home media
The film was released to DVD in 2004 as a 2-disc special edition, which included numerous bonus features. A standard 1-disc edition followed in 2005.[https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Magnificent-Obsession-Robert-Altman/dp/B000AQKV0I Amazon.com: Z Channel - A Magnificent Obsession]
It is available on Shout! Cult June 2022.[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcKs2noPNxQ New in June on Shout! Cult - Shout Factory on YouTube]
See also
*Cinephilia
*2004 in film
*'The Snob's Dictionary'-The channel mentioned in the 'Film Snob' edition
References
Buy Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession now from Amazon
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